In the aftermath of the Biden administration's abrupt withdrawal from Kabul in 2021, a significant cache of U.
S. military weapons was inadvertently left behind.
This arsenal, now in the hands of the Taliban, has reportedly been distributed to various terror organizations throughout the region, including the Houthis, as sources revealed to the BBC.
As reported by The Jerusalem Post, approximately one million weapons and military items were abandoned, with estimates suggesting that half a million have since been lost, sold, or smuggled. During a United Nations Security Council's Sanctions Committee meeting in Doha last year, Taliban officials allegedly conceded that half of the U.S. weapons were unaccounted for.
These arms have reportedly found their way to groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and Yemen's Houthis, according to a UN report from February.
Beyond the U.S. weaponry, the Taliban's arsenal may also include arms left by Afghan soldiers who either fled, surrendered, or were killed. Despite these claims, the Taliban's deputy spokesperson assured the BBC, "All light and heavy weapons are securely stored. We strongly reject claims of smuggling or loss."
President Donald Trump has been vocally critical of the Biden administration's handling of the Afghanistan exit, emphasizing the need to recover the military equipment left behind. "Afghanistan is one of the biggest sellers of military equipment in the world, you know why?
They're selling the equipment that we left," Trump stated during his first cabinet meeting. He further asserted, "I want to look into this. If we need to pay them, that's fine, but we want our military equipment back." This situation underscores the ongoing challenges and geopolitical implications of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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